Pittsburgh Pirates: Ranking Each Minor League Affiliate

PITTSBURGH, PA - JULY 18: Catcher Henry Davis (R), who was selected first overall in the 2021 MLB draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates, poses with General Manager Ben Cherington after signing a contract with the Pirates during a press conference at PNC Park on July 18, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - JULY 18: Catcher Henry Davis (R), who was selected first overall in the 2021 MLB draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates, poses with General Manager Ben Cherington after signing a contract with the Pirates during a press conference at PNC Park on July 18, 2021 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /
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Pittsburgh Pirates
Jul 18, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Henry Davis who was selected number one overall in the 2021 MLB first year player draft by the Pirates participates in bating practice before the Pirates play the New York Mets at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /

Altoona Curve

The Altoona Curve has a lot of hitters. Endy Rodriguez and Henry Davis make a nasty catching combo. Liover Peguero and Jared Triolo have made a solid right side of the infield. They did have a powerful double-play combo between Peguero and Nick Gonzales, but Gonzale is currently rehabbing.

Even without Gonzales, you have some very underrated hitters like Andres Alvarez and Aaron Shackelford. Both currently have a wRC+ above 115. Blake Sabol has also provided the Curve with a solid bat this season, registering a 108 wRC+. When he was healthy, Matt Gorski provided a phenomenal bat.

The Curve has some decent pitchers as well. Quinn Priester returned and has only allowed 10 earned runs in 38.1 innings of work. He’s getting ground balls like there’s no tomorrow on top of that. Tyler Samaniego and Tahnaj Thomas have been terrific in the back of the Curve bullpen. Carmen Mlodzinski and Kyle Nicolas have been solid, albeit not great recently, though they have flashed potential throughout the season.

The Curve has a lot of big names in the prospect scene. However, where they struggle the most is the lack of depth past most of those big names. Their other starters, past Priester, Mlodzinski, and Nicolas, consist of Luis Ortiz (who should move to the bullpen), Omar Cruz, and Aaron Shortridge. Altoona also has a lot of depth hitters.